The original casing stones of the Great Pyramid of Giza were made of white limestone. These carefully cut stones covered the pyramid’s rougher inner core and created smooth, bright outer faces that reflected sunlight.
Most of the pyramid’s core blocks came from nearby quarries on the Giza Plateau, but the high-quality casing limestone was transported from Tura, across the Nile. Ancient Egyptian workers fitted the casing blocks in sloping courses and smoothed their outward surfaces, giving the pyramid a sharply finished appearance. The pyramid originally also had a capstone, or pyramidion, at its summit, although that feature has not survived.
Over many centuries, earthquakes, weathering, and especially stone removal stripped away nearly all the casing. Some remaining stones can still be seen near the base. Granite was also used in important internal areas, including the King’s Chamber, which can cause confusion, but granite was not the material used for the pyramid’s original exterior casing.